Insulated tensioned sheet wall system for a building

Abstract

An insulated wall system for a building includes a sheet assembly spanning across an opening in a building frame. The sheet assembly includes an outer plastic sheet member at an, an inner plastic sheet member at an interior, and a core layer of heat insulating material between the inner and outer sheet members. One or more perimeter boundaries of the sheet assembly includes a tensioning pocket formed on the inner sheet member to receive a frame member therein such that a tensioning mechanism can apply tension between the frame member in the pocket and a corresponding boundary of the building opening to tension the sheet assembly. The outer sheet member is joined to the inner sheet member about a perimeter while the core layer is bonded to both sheet members to transfer tension of the inner sheet member through all layers of the sheet assembly.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . An insulated wall system for a building including a rigid frame defining a wall opening spanning between first and second ends, the wall system comprising:
 a flexible sheet assembly spanning a length in a longitudinal direction between opposing first and second ends of the flexible sheet assembly and spanning a width in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction between opposing sides of the flexible sheet assembly, the flexible sheet assembly comprising:
 (i) an outer sheet member defining a first plastic barrier spanning an exterior side of the flexible sheet assembly; 
 (ii) an inner sheet member defining a second plastic barrier spanning an interior side of the flexible sheet assembly and being joined to the outer sheet member along perimeter edges of the sheet members; 
 (iii) a core layer formed of a heat insulating material received between the inner and outer sheet members; and 
 (iv) a tension pocket formed on the inner sheet member to extend in the lateral direction across the flexible sheet assembly in proximity to the second end of the flexible sheet assembly; 
   a first frame member arranged to be secured to the flexible sheet assembly in proximity to the first end of the flexible sheet assembly so as to span across the flexible sheet assembly in the lateral direction of the flexible sheet assembly, the first frame member being arranged to be secured relative to the rigid frame of the building at the first end of the wall opening;   a second frame member arranged to be received in the tension pocket to extend in the lateral direction across the flexible sheet assembly in proximity to the second end of the flexible sheet assembly; and   a tensioning assembly arranged to be operatively connected between the second frame member and the rigid frame of the building at the second end of the wall opening whereby the tensioning assembly is arranged to apply tension in the longitudinal direction to the inner sheet member of the flexible sheet assembly between the first and second frame members.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the core layer is bonded to the outer sheet member along a first side of the core layer and bonded to the inner sheet member along a second side of the core layer such that the outer sheet member and the inner sheet member are integrally joined to one another across the length and across the width of the flexible sheet assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the outer sheet member and the inner sheet member are joined to one another at the first and second ends by plastic welds between peripheral portions of the first plastic barrier and the second plastic barrier extending fully across the width of the flexible sheet assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the outer sheet member and the inner sheet member are joined to one another by plastic welds between the first plastic barrier and the second plastic barrier extending about a full perimeter of the flexible sheet assembly at the perimeter edges of the sheet members. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the core layer comprises a flexible sheet of material encapsulating air pockets therein in which the core layer is bonded fully across first side to the inner sheet member and bonded fully across the second side to the outer sheet member. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the flexible sheet assembly further comprises an auxiliary pocket formed on the inner sheet member to extend in the lateral direction across the flexible sheet assembly in proximity to the first end of the flexible sheet assembly, the auxiliary pocket being arranged to receive the first frame member therein, the system further comprises an auxiliary tensioning assembly arranged to be operatively connected between the first frame member and the rigid frame of the building at the first end of the wall opening whereby the auxiliary tensioning assembly is arranged to apply further tension in the longitudinal direction to the inner sheet member of the flexible sheet assembly between the first and second frame members. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the flexible sheet assembly comprises a plurality of pockets formed on the inner sheet member and arranged to receive respective frame members therein such that the frame members extend about a full perimeter of the flexible sheet assembly, and wherein the system further comprises a plurality of tensioning assemblies operatively connected between the frame members and the rigid frame of the building about a perimeter of the wall opening whereby the tensioning assemblies are arranged to apply tension across the inner sheet member in both the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the rigid frame of the building includes a foundation defining a floor, arched trusses defining a semi-cylindrical wall supported along opposing sides of the floor, and two end frames defining end walls of the building at opposing ends of the semi-cylindrical wall, the system further comprising:
 the flexible sheet assembly being arranged to extend over one or more of the arched trusses between the first and second ends of the flexible sheet assembly supported along the opposing sides of the floor of the building. 
 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 8  wherein the flexible sheet assembly further comprises an auxiliary pocket formed on the inner sheet member to extend in the lateral direction across the flexible sheet assembly in proximity to the first end of the flexible sheet assembly, the auxiliary pocket being arranged to receive the first frame member therein, said tensioning assembly being arranged to be operatively connected between the second frame member and a first one of the sides of the floor of the building, the system further comprises an auxiliary tensioning assembly arranged to be operatively connected between the first frame member and a second one of the sides of the floor of the building. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 8  further comprising an end flap protruding in a lateral direction from one side edge of the flexible sheet assembly along an upper perimeter of a corresponding one of the end walls of the building, the end flap including a gathering pocket therein arranged to receive a gathering member such that the gathering member is arranged to constrict the end flap radially inwardly into overlapping arrangement with an upright exterior surface portion of the corresponding end wall. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the rigid frame of the building includes a foundation defining a floor, arched trusses defining a semi-cylindrical wall supported along opposing sides of the floor, and two end frames defining end walls of the building at opposing ends of the semi-cylindrical wall, the system further comprising:
 the flexible sheet assembly being arranged to extend over one of the end walls between the floor and one of the arched trusses of the building. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11  wherein the flexible sheet assembly further comprises an auxiliary pocket formed on the inner sheet member in proximity to the first end of the flexible sheet to extend across the flexible sheet assembly along a semicircular path following an upper end of the end wall of the building, the auxiliary pocket being arranged to receive the first frame member therein, said tensioning assembly being arranged to be operatively connected between the second frame member and the floor of the building, the system further comprises an auxiliary tensioning assembly arranged to be operatively connected between the first frame member and one of the arched trusses of the rigid frame of the building. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12  wherein the auxiliary tensioning assembly is arranged to apply tension to the flexible sheet assembly in a radial direction towards said one of the arched trusses. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 12  wherein the flexible sheet assembly further comprises (i) a door opening open to the second end of the flexible sheet assembly adjacent to the floor of the building, and (ii) a pair of intermediate pockets formed on the inner sheet member to extend between an upper boundary of the door opening and the first end of the flexible sheet member adjacent to laterally opposing ends of the upper boundary respectively, the system further comprising (i) an intermediate frame member received in each intermediate pocket and (ii) intermediate tension assemblies arranged to be operatively connected between the intermediate frame members and the rigid frame of the building so as to apply tension to the flexible sheet assembly above the door opening in a lateral direction. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein the outer sheet member and the inner sheet member are joined to one another by plastic welds between the first plastic barrier and the second plastic barrier extending about a full perimeter of the flexible sheet assembly at the perimeter edges of the sheet members, the flexible sheet assembly further comprising a row of grommets mounted along each side of the flexible sheet member within the peripheral portions of the inner and outer sheet members.